SENIOR SCHOOL GOOD STANDING AND SENIOR STATUS

Senior School students at Willetton Senior High School achieve senior status by consistently demonstrating responsible, adult behaviour.

Good Standing

Year 11 students can gain good standing during the first half of the year and achieve their senior status trial which commences during Term 3 or 4. By showing responsibility and the requisite maturity, most Year 12 students commence their courses with good standing and therefore Senior Status. They are then required to maintain their good standing to maintain Senior Status.

Good standing is maintained by student demonstration of;

responsible behaviour

commitment to learning

satisfactory attendance and punctuality

dress standards as per school policy

A major goal of the Senior Status program is to develop independent and responsible young learners. Desirable behaviours which assist students to achieve this goal are described below.

Outcomes sought

Desirable student behaviour and attitudes

Commitment to learning

Active participation in learning activities

Regular attendance at classes

Punctuality with attendance and submission of work

Development subject specific and general skills

Acquisition of knowledge in a variety of ways

Autonomous and reflective learning

Selecting courses and a timetable load relevant to needs and personal goals

Being able to learn outside the classroom environment

Developing as independent learners and increasingly using a wide range of resources to learn

Acceptance of responsibility

Understanding the objectives and assessment schedule for each course or certificate and adhering to the Willetton Senior High School Assessment policy

Understanding the implications of failing to meet course or certificate requirements

Acknowledging the right of others to learn or teach

Treating all members of the school community with dignity and respect

Students at Risk of Losing Good Standing

When a student fails to demonstrate the requirements to maintain good standing, the following process applies:

Course teacher raises the concern with the student, parent and Head of Learning Area

The teacher ensures appropriate documentation is kept

If the situation remains unresolved, the teacher completes the Good Standing Referral form which is submitted to the Year Coordinator

The referring teacher receives feedback and ongoing information

Consequences of Loss of Good Standing:

Loss of senior status badge and privileges

Loss of right to attend year activities such as school socials, school ball.

Course Completion

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) policy on course completion requires students to complete all the tasks in an assessment program. A student who fails to meet this requirement and does not provide acceptable reasons, is at risk of being awarded a D or E grade in a course. For a VET qualification to be complete and to count toward the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) all units within the certificate must be deemed competent.

Inexceptional cases of sickness or misadventure where the course may eventually be completed, the student may be awarded a U (for unfinished) instead of a grade. This will mean that there will be no record of this course on the SCSA Statement of Results. It may also mean that WACE is not achieved.

For students at risk of not achieving a satisfactory grade or course completion, a teacher will notify a parent in writing and discuss a plan with the student to address the issue. Copies of this letter are distributed to the relevant staff listed on the letter.

If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily the teacher informs the Education Transition Program Coordinator who will further notify parents.

Attendance – Senior School

All teachers keep accurate attendance records for all classes.

If senior school students are late to school, they must report to Student Services with a note or a phone call from a parent/guardian to receive a late note before going to class. Penalties will apply to students who arrive late without parent notification.

Teachers will contact parents of students whose attendance is affecting their course progress.

Tutors will follow up unexplained absences and update school records through Student Services.

Teachers will refer students with ongoing absences to the relevant Year Coordinator.

Absence

Absence is defined as any non-attendance at a class when normal timetable is in operation.

A student is deemed absent even when they are;

legitimately ill

absent for extenuating family circumstances such as bereavement

on excursion or camp or representing the school at a function

When students miss classes, no matter what the reason, there is still work to be done. If significant amounts of learning are missed, student achievement will be affected. Students may miss some classes due to legitimate school activities or timetabled Workplace Learning and will require special consideration. Teachers will only refer Workplace Learning students to Student Services who are not keeping up with their course requirements.

Extended Absence

Extended student absence from school due to family holidays should be avoided as it interferes with the learning and assessment program.

Absences of this nature need to be discussed with the Education Transition Program Coordinator in advance of plans being finalised. Students concerned will need to complete an educational plan with their teachers to cater for missed lesson time.

Absences from school must be substantiated by written evidence.

Behaviour and disability

Some forms of disability may involve manifestations over which the student has little control, but which may look like poor discipline. Willetton Senior High School will take due consideration in their response and imposed sanctions when a breach of school discipline occurs by a student with a disability. The Principal may seek advice prior to making a decision and will not apply a standard that is intended to apply to all students if this will cause a greater disadvantage to the student with a disability.

Behaviour and attendance

The Principal will support and encourage full time attendance in education for every student in the compulsory years of schooling. With the exceptions of suspension or exclusion the school will not enforce a restriction on a student’s attendance. Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of the school days and actively dissuades parents from taking their child out of school during the term for holiday purposes.

Data and effectiveness for determining school support

Willetton Senior High School reviews data on;

suspension rates, gender, year group recurrence and individual recurrence

attendance data

peachie data including detention rates

The report will be shared with staff and the Board to determine support levels, areas of priority and funding to promote proactive programs to remediate areas of behavioural concern.